Livaditis Village Waterfall Greece

The trail is part of the international path E6 which starts from the village of Livaditi and, crossing a beautiful beech forest filled with streams of running water, it leads to the waterfall of Livaditis.

(This article is a guest port from Vassilis and Ioanna).

Length: 4 km and 610 meters.

Duration: 1 hour and 35 minutes

Descent: 419 meters.

Route rating: Cross and return on the same path

Recommended: In all mountaineering clubs in the country, as well as those with some mountaineering experience

Season: All year round, provided there are no snowfalls.

It is a path of total length 4 km and 610 meters and more specifically 1 km and 200 meters on an asphalt road and a 3 km and 410 meters path. The walking duration is 15 minutes on the asphalt road and 1 hour and 20 minutes on the path. Along the trail there are signs of E6 but there is hardly any coverage for mobile phone networks.

Generally, it is classified as a medium difficulty route and can be performed by children over 10 years old.

Arriving at the area

Xanthi is a small city of northeast Greece, near the border with Bulgaria and Turkey. Starting from the city of Xanthi, you follow the road to the small town of Stavroupoli and then after passing the villages of Dafnona and Ano Karyofito you end up -after a distance of 48 km- in the mountain village of Livaditi at an altitude of 1,250 meters.

While you are on your way to Stavroupoli and more specifically at the height of Lykodromio at an altitude of 285 meters, you will notice that there is a right junction, which ends up in the village of Livaditi through Kallithea. It is advisable to avoid this route during the months of November to April, because due to frequent snowfalls the route closes and it is difficult to get to your destination (this road is of minor importance and during the winter season snow removal equipment is not available). Also, there is no telephone signal all the way, just on a few points. This particular route is far more pleasant to be followed during the months from May to October.

Livaditis is the highest mountain village of Xanthi with only 8 residents. If you wish, you can leave your car in the village of Livaditi, otherwise there is place to leave it at the place where the path starts.

Walking the path

You follow the asphalt driveway that goes to D.Ch. Erymanthos for 1 km and 200 meters. On your left, you will see a small yellow sign, which says “no hunting” and you will find that there is a small vacant lot (at an altitude of 1.205 meters).

Far right into the vacant lot, you will find a tree with a red cloth and a red and white sign. The 3km long and 410 meters trail with a duration of 1 hour and 20 minutes is a very relaxed walking and is also very well signposted. However, you must follow the specific red and white signs or the red cloths, so as not to get lost (do not follow the orange signs or the phosphorescent red card-boards on the trees because you will reach Trahoni, in Drama).

You -therefore- start walking and at the first 10 minutes (where you have already covered the first 585 meters of the trail), you will see that it meets with a rural road (at an altitude of 1,210 meters). You cross it vertically and just at the opposite side there is a yellow sign that shows you where the trail continues.

After 5 minutes or 255 meters away (840 meters since the start of the path), you will meet for the second time the same country road (at an altitude of 1,185 m.) and you follow again the same procedure. There is a yellow small sign that informs you on how to find the path again. You will just have to be careful because the slope at the beginning is a bit steep.

After another 15 minutes of walking or 640 meters further (1,40m. from the start) and at an altitude of 1.085 m., you will find for the third and last time the same rural road and you will continue with the same procedure. There are small yellow signs that inform you on how to find your path again. As mentioned before, you will have to be careful because the slope at the beginning is a bit steep. This rural road was constructed for logging purposes and if you get fooled and follow it on your way to the waterfall, you might get confused and you will not reach your destination.

Follow the signs and the red cloths that there are on the rocks and trees for another 380 meters (1.860 m. from the beginning) or a ten-minute walk, until you find a glade and on your right there is an iron pole with a red cloth, at an altitude of 1,010 meters.

For the next 10 minutes you get off all right down for another 300 meters (2.160m. from the beginning), until you come across a wooden bridge at an altitude of 970m. You cross and go towards it.

For the next 10 minutes or 280 meters (2.440m. from the beginning) the route is uphill until you meet a wooden house at an altitude of 1.010m. In the last few meters, the path meets the “short path” that comes from the “parking” area. The last 970 meters, in other words, are common to both paths. When you reach this intersection, continue your downward route until you meet and pass the wooden house first of all where you continue to descend.

After walking another 100 meters (after the wooden house), you will meet a rock next to which an uphill footpath starts for a few meters and leads you to a nice view point (990m altitude.).

Getting closer to the waterfall

From there you can admire a smaller waterfall, whose water comes from the streams of Livaditi and a little further from there that “pops”, it meets with the waters from the streams of “Stravorema”, thus forming an impressive spectacle that the big waterfall gives. Also behind you, you can look at the tops of the mountains belonging to the county of Drama.

You return to the path and continue your downward route for another 15 minutes. You will start to feel close to your destination when you meet a wooden bridge (altitude 865m.), many springs and the church of St. George which was built in memory of Telemachos Samouridi, one of the first people who made the path and the waterfall known since the mid-1980s.

There are 60 meters (5minutes) of uphill walking remaining until you reach the vintage point from where you can admire the waterfall, at an altitude of 885 meters. Please be aware that the waterfall has a height of 40 meters and it is the largest in the Balkans in terms of quantity and volume of running water.

No matter how many photos you will take and how many hours you will sit to enjoy the waterfall, it is never enough to satisfy your senses. Every time, the sight of it offers different emotions and thoughts.

When you have seen this unique spectacle, it is time to come back. Two things you should keep in mind though.

You should not worry about the uphill way back, because you descend slowly and you will follow approximately the same rate as you go up the hill. If you keep the time needed to descend the slope, calculate a quarter more for the uphill way back, because you will need a few stops.

Moreover, when you reach the wooden house, you must be careful to follow the path on your right to get back on the right route that will help you to return to your base. The sign that says Livaditis means the village and not the waterfall.

Towards the E6 path, Livaditis Village All along the trail you feel that you are in the heart of Nature and that you can breathe and be a part of her…

Every step is a breath of new life …

If anything else, it will be a wonderful experience for you and your company!!!

If you want to help you at this trail, email Georgiadis Vassilis, Porfillidou Ioanna at: [email protected] or contact them through the contact data below. Their phone is: +30 6948 363078.

Greeks have been known to be worldwide explorers, with a great nautical tradition that keeps up to our days. We keep up to the explorers tradition through our trips, sharing our findings with you. Read more... As you read the content of our blog you may encounter some affiliate links. These, along with advertisements, support us and they come to no expense for you.